Sakhee Bhai Laalo Ji Katha Taeeae Taap Dee

(By my brother)

Sakhee of Bhai Laalo Singh Ji (Katha Taeeae Taap Dee), this is a Sikh sakhee that should be recited to people who have the flu/virus or who feel unwell. The sakhee should help them feel better. This Sakhee describes what happened when Sri Guru Amar Das Ji Maharaaj helped to cure a young boy of illness.

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Dhrupad - Raag Darbari - Pt. Prem Kumar, Pt. Nishant Mallick & Bhakta Raj Bhosle

(By my Brother)

This short video was taken in Nanded, India. The event was called "Sacred Music at Shankarrao Chavan Auditorium" and was taken on Friday 26th September 2008.

A Dharbanga Dhrupad Gharana performance by Pandit Prem Kumar (Pakhawaj) and Pandit Nishant Mallick & Bhakta Raj Bhosle. This is Raag Darbari as well as others.


Dhrupad is the oldest surviving style of music in the Hindustani musical tradition in India. Like all Indian classical music, dhrupad is modal, with a single melodic line and no harmonic parts. The modes are called raga, and each raga is a complicated framework of melodic rules. What sets dhrupad apart from other styles are long elaborate alapas without drum accompaniment, with a slow and deliberate melodic development, gradually developing an accelerating rhythmic pulse.

The Mallick Family is the leading representative of the court music tradition of Darbhanga, a former state in the north-eastern corner of India, close to the Nepalese border. They retrace their line to the singers Radhakrishna and Kartaram, who appeared at the court around 1790 and made a name for themselves by averting a drought through the singing of the magical rain Raga Megh. As a result, the Maharaja of Darbhanga granted them the title Mallick - landowner - and conferred to them two villages and the surrounding landed property, where the family lives up to the present day. They served at the court up to the closing down of the state in 1947. In 1991, after the death of Ram Chatur Mallick, the last actual court singer, he and his son Bidur Mallick were the senior musicians in the family.

The Mallicks are famous all over India for a very rhythmically elaborated interpretation of Dhrupad - a style which is virtually unknown in the West. Except for old Dhrupad and Dhamar compositions - of which they possess an unparalleled stock - they are also known for their exposition of Khyal, Taranas, Ghazals, Bhajans and songs of the medieval poet Vidyapati in Thumri style.

In Europe, they appeared first in 1983, at a European Dhrupad Festival organized for the Berlin International Institute for Traditional Music by world music specialist Peter Pannke, who has lived with the Mallick family in India for many years. In 1992, he invited them again for the Parampara! Festival in Berlin, where they were performing together in the Tutti Shruti Orchestra. The 1993 European tour climaxed in the opening concert of the New Jazz Festival Moers, in 1994 they appeared at the legendary BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall in London.
 

Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Ji Live at Ramgarhia Sabha Gurdwara Slough UK 31DEC1989

One of my all time fav youtube videos...

Tappa Tradition - Smt. Shaswati Mandal Paul, Girish Nalawade, Makarand Kundale

(By my Brother)

This short video was taken in Nanded, India. The event was called "Sacred Music at Shankarrao Chavan Auditorium" and was taken on Friday 26th September 2008.

Smt. Shaswati Mandal Paul (Tappa Vocal) with Girish Nalawade (Tabla) and Makarand Kundale (Harmonium).


Born into a family devoted to music, Shashwati showed rare sensitivity towards music from very early childhood. She is the Grand-daughter of late Gayanacharaya Pandit Balabhau Umdekar, Kundalguru the last court musician of Gwalior Kingdom and one of the erudite exponent of Gwalior Gharana.

Shashwati initially trained under her mother Smt. Kamal Mandal. Later, from 1987-1992 she received the National scholarship from the Dept. of Culture, Govt. of India, for learning Tappa and Khayal from veteran musician Pt . Balasaheb Poonchwale. A foremost disciple of Balasaheb, Shashwati, has acquired under his tutelage, an able hold on the subtle complexity of tappa. She also continues to draw inspiration from her mother, whose steady guidance has groomed her into an accomplished performer. Presently residing at Bhopal the capital of Madhya Pradesh. Shashwati from time to time is receiving guidance from the renowned Dhrupad vocalists, The Gundecha Brothers. An A grade artist of A.I.R. and Doordarshan, Shashwatis performance at several platforms and festivals have received high acclaim.

Some of her notable performances have been at the Sawai Ghandharva music festival Pune, The Tansen Sangeet Samaroh Gwalior, Rajarani music festival Bhubneshwar, Sangeet Pratibha music festival at Kolhapur, the international trade fair New Delhi, Kumbh-festival - Allahabad, the simhasth festival Ujjain and Devanandan ubhaykar sangeet utsav, Bangalore. Her National programme of music by A.I.R. in 1997, 2003 & 2007, rated very good by A.I.R. Directorate. Shashwati has two commercial audio CDs released to her credit, one from sense world music, a UK based recording company and another by Alurkar music house Pune. She is also an artist of ICCR.

This short video was taken in Nanded, India. The event was called "Sacred Music at Shankarrao Chavan Auditorium" and was taken on Friday 26th September 2008.